Vessel



June 6, 1933. A. M. MCDOUGALL VESSEL Filed Jan. 2, 1952 E Us PatentedJune 6, 1933 vnssnr.

Appucatioma January 2, `1,9372. `serial n0.s4,45s.

`This invention relates tocar transporting vessels and serving mechanismtherefore, the principal `object being `toprovide an 1mproved form ofvessel, as well as serving mechanism having means whereby auto-` maticadj ustment` of the mechanism A.occurs during the process of loading and/or unload.-` ing thevessel. y d y 7 `Another Objectis to providesuch amechanism which will materially expedite such process, and the novelarrangement of tracks on the vessel assist in such expedition.

7 AOther objects `and advantages of the inven-l tion will appear in thefollowing description thereof.

" 1 Referring now to the accompanying draw ing forming Payt` Ofthisapplicationpand like parts:

wherein like` `reference characters indicate Figlie i with theimprovedloadingmechanism:

Figure@ is a planview of the spar deck of thevessel:`

aridm 7 Y Figure 4 is aplan viewof Figure 1,por`

tions thereof being shown in se'ctlon.`

AIt will be `noted that" the vessel isanimy provement` upon somewhatsimilar construe# tions ofships illustrated inmy'Patents No. 1,772,612ofnugust 1Q, 1930, `alla 1,773,368 and 1,773,369 of August 19, 1930, andthat such modification of vesselforms an essential part of my `presentinvention, obviously rendering possible'novel results in the art.

The numerall represents the vessel, which isof thefreight carrying type,having the engines and boilers as far aftgas possible, and

centrallyof the ship, and having an abnor-;

mally `wide stern portion, especially above thewater line thereof, so asto permit of `at least two decks having ample room on either side of theafter deck `house for a line of car tracks. The deckhouse in thisinstance is illustrated at 2, and one essential thereof is that theforward end of said houseis tapered or narrowed materially asat 3 forsome considerable distance t0 further accommodate the switching `of carsthereabouts; it being 7 is a sideelevation of the after endl off'avessel being served at a dock eopupped y so` that the free end ofeachpair is free to` 85 noted that the f full thwartship width of; thevessel extends well aft of the forward end of the after deck house andthen is contract-1` ed butcomparatively slightly to the extreme dvUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE N after end `or stern)` `Thus there isafforded ampie room for 4thesingle track at the ex-` treme after portionand the Y parallel` with.u the forward portion of the deck house therebyproviding ample switching room for cars toa plurality `of tracks on themain portiony of the decks. i v 7 y i 1 1 l `The servinginstrumentalities for the ves` sel comprises the line of shore tracks 4ony anapproximate.levelwith the tween deck "5 of the vessel; itbeingnoted that in such vesL selswhere the fuel and machinery are car-`ried well aft there is butcomparatively slight change in f draftrespecting `a vessel `that is either loaded `ori` light, so thatajsubstantially uniform heightabovethe `water level ismain: i tained;-Anfelevated `track 6 `is also shown upon suitable trestle construction;,74 .toisubvy stantially registerwith thespan deckSof y the vessel. The.track `mayincline :down- Figure 3 is al plan view of thetween deck:

venience `may dictate. i These fixed tracks ex` tend to a point someconsiderabledistance in-v` wardly of the outermost dock line` ati whichthe vessel is moored, and between such dock' line and the termini` ofthe fixed tracks iS installed the pivotally mounted pair of rampsections of tracks, eachV pair of which `is piv-. otally mounted as at 9in anysuitablemanner raise orlower as required by the draft of the afterend of the vessel. 1. n d i y. As a means for the support of the freeend offeach ramp; each rampas beforestated comprising a pair of tracksone above the. other connected as by trestle construction, clearlyillustrated; Iprovide a foundation support as at 10 for the upright`supporting member 11, which maybe in the form of a post orothersuitableconstruction as `piling or` the like if preferred, and upon the upperend of the post as at 12 is pivotally `mounted the walking beam 13, ithaving a line 14 depending from the forward end thereof, sup# porting inany desiredJnanner the free end;` of the ramp, while at the opposite endof the beam 13 is attached, as by the line 15, a suitable counterweight16. Now the temporary connection of the free end of the ramp to thestern of the vessel is not shown in detail as the same may varymaterially under different circumstances, and that a short connection ofchain maybe employed which forms linked connection, adjustable manually,for holding the ramp and the vessel together, O and still permit ofconsiderable movement j therebetween. Or the end of the ramp may beprovided with a ball like projection or plunger 19 cushioned as by aspring or rubber and engageable within a suitable socket in the stern ofthe vessel, so that when the latter is brought fully astern and held asby breast lines or the like in? such position the ramps cannot bedislodged therefrom by the weight of the cars or the motion of thevessel, thus 20 virtually providing a ball and socket joint between thefree end of the ramp and the vessel.

VIt is further obvious that a hand manipulated drum or winch. QOinay beused in con- 5" junctionwith. the weight suspending line 15 for raisingand/or lowering the free end of each rampefor registration with thestern of the vessel as it is being positioned', and which o winch. isfreed after such registration so. that 0"' the ramps may fluctuate withthe movement of the vessel'. Inasmuch as there are two pairs of theseramps, one registeringv with each. side of the vessel, when the latterat all listsduring they process of loading or uns; loading, the rampswill automatically adjust themselves tosuch list, thereby obviating anyinconvenience that might otherwise arise.

It will be noted: that I have provided a pairv oficounterweightsf16y foreachy pair of ramps,

4 and that this structure may befmaterially tion withthe fixed portionof theftracks. The

modified' without departing from the spirit ofthe invention. v

Furthermorethat the upper track support- Y .K ing girders of the rampsmay at their inner 45'" most ends be formed arcuately as shown at.

1.7', the center of said arc being the pivotal point 9 sothat as thefree end of the-ramps raise or lowerthe tracks upon the vupper portion.thereof will. remain in'v proper registraopposite or free ends of theseupper tracks may be provided with anydesired flexible connection forvconvenient traverse of the- .i cars thereover, inasmuch as the afterpart of 5' such. vessels changesbut slightlyv in its draft as. beforestated, but when such change of draft does take place, the forward endof the vessel of necessity must raise and lower Y proportionately,resulting in comparatively little change taking place respecting therelation of. such track connection. f 1 Y Itwill benoted that theentrance to the ramps.y is` provideda with the necessary com-` .monsheer or guide piling indicated. at 18 5` which is common` inthe artso'that little or no difficulty is experienced in positioning the sternof the vessel in respect to the ramp.

The principal novel feature in the vessel here illustrated is the factthat it is so constructed at the eXtreme stern thereof to permit of carsbeing loaded and/or unloaded simultaneously on two dierent levels, itbeingquite obvious that such convenience would assist materially in theexpedition of same, and, while there is illustrated in my former patentsreferred to an inclined ramp for selective service on one side of theafter house to either the tween deck or the tank top deck, there-is notfoundthe loading through the stern on the spar deck upon either side ofthe deck house to a` single track communicating with a plurality oftracks on themain portion of the deck forward of the after deck house.

From the foregoing it is evident that I have provided a novel form ofvessel in conjunction with a novel form of serving structure applicablenot only to the transportation of railroad cars but to other forms ofvehicles as well not necessarily requiring special forms of tracks uponthe vessel.

Having thus described my invention, what' I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a navigable vessel for transporting vehicles having aplurality of decks served through the stern thereof, a dock for saidvessel, two sets of tracks upon the dock one above therother forconveying vehicles to or from the vessel, and an adjustable doubledeckramp hingedly attached to the fixed termini of the tracks with the freeends thereof registrable with the decks of the vessel. f

2. A serving ramp for Vvehicle carrying vesselsI having a` pluralityv ofdecks served through the stern and upon either sidef of the centerthereof comprising two pairs of tracks spaced horizontally fromeachother and the tracksineach-pair spaced one above the other toregister with the vertically spaced decks at thestern of the vessel,means for pivotally supporting thev innermost end of each pair oftracks, and an automatically operable counterweight forthe free ends ofeach pair of tracks.

3. A vessell comprising spaced decks and' an after deck house, tracksupon the mainportion of each deck thereof, a single track upon eithersideof said deck house and uponl adjacent decks, means for thesimultaneous ingress and/or egress of vehicles through the stern of thevessel to said single tracks upon a plurality ofV decks simultaneously.

4. A vessel for the transportation of vehicles comprising spaced decksand an after deck house,.a single track upon either side of saidl deckhouse and. upon adjacent decks, and means for the ingress and egress ofvey main hicles through the stern to the single tracks upon a pluralityofdecks simultaneously.

5. A vessel for the transportation of vehicles comprising spaced decksand an after deck house, a plurality of tracks upon the portion of saiddecks, a single track uponelther sideof said deckhouse and upon adjacentdecks, each of said singleV tracks communicating with a plurality of thetracks upon the main portion of the respective deck served, and meansfor simultaneously loading and/or unloading Vehicles to or from saidsingle tracks upon either or all decks simultaneously.

6. A vessel of the class describedv comprising spaced decks, tracks uponsaid decks, and means permitting simultaneously loading and unloadingcars through the stern of the vessel to a plurality of said deck tracksupon a plurality of decks simultaneously.

7 A vessel oi the class described comprising spaced decks for thetransportation of vehicles, and lmeans permitting simultaneously loadingandunloading vehicles through the stern of the vessel to aplurality ofsaid decks. i y i y In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.`ALEXANDER M. MCDOUGALL.

